Clothes washer additive dispenser apparatus and method
First Claim
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1. An additive dispensing system for a washing machine, the washing machine including a tub for holding wash liquid and a basket for holding articles to be washed, said additive dispensing system comprising:
- a top cover;
a reservoir removably coupled to said top cover;
a water valve coupled to said reservoir; and
a controller coupled to said water valve, said controller configured to control said water valve to introduce water into said reservoir to dilute the additive and initiate delivery of the diluted additive to the washer at a predetermined time during a wash cycle.
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Abstract
An additive dispensing system for a washing machine includes a top cover, a reservoir removably coupled to the top cover, and a water valve coupled to the reservoir. A controller is coupled to the water valve. The controller is configured to control the water valve to introduce water into the reservoir to dilute the additive and initiate delivery of the diluted additive to the washer at a predetermined time during a wash cycle.
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Citations
24 Claims
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1. An additive dispensing system for a washing machine, the washing machine including a tub for holding wash liquid and a basket for holding articles to be washed, said additive dispensing system comprising:
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a top cover;
a reservoir removably coupled to said top cover;
a water valve coupled to said reservoir; and
a controller coupled to said water valve, said controller configured to control said water valve to introduce water into said reservoir to dilute the additive and initiate delivery of the diluted additive to the washer at a predetermined time during a wash cycle. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. A washing machine comprising:
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a tub for holding wash liquid;
a basket for holding articles to be washed; and
an additive dispensing system comprising;
a top cover;
a reservoir removably coupled to said top cover;
a water valve coupled to said reservoir; and
a controller coupled to said water valve, said controller configured to control said water valve to introduce water into said reservoir to dilute an additive and initiate delivery of the diluted additive to the washer at a predetermined time during a wash cycle. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A method for dispensing an additive from a reservoir in a washing machine, the washing machine including a tub, a basket, a memory, and a controller accessing the memory and controlling a water valve, said method comprising:
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determining a total wash cycle time;
determining an additive dispense time based on the total wash cycle time;
activating a water valve to dilute the additive when the additive dispense time is reached; and
dispensing the diluted additive. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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Specification